Five Depeche Mode Songs That Prove the Ramones Are Their Spiritual Cousins

By the Ramodes, Portland's only Ramones-inspired Depeche Mode cover band.

ILLUSTRATION: Rick Vodicka.
By Matthew Singer

Outside of an affinity for leather, it would seem that the Ramones and Depeche Mode have little in common. The latter are English synth fetishists who write dark songs about BDSM and molesting Jesus, while the former were awkward punk romantics from Queens who sang about sniffing glue, horror movies and unrequited love. But if you ask the Ramodes—Portland's, and possibly the world's, only band that plays Depeche Mode songs in the buzzsaw style of the Ramones—they really aren't that different if you really think about it. With DM playing one of the fall's most anticipated shows at Moda Center this week, we asked them to explain.

"Shouldn't Have Done That"

There is a song on the Ramones' Leave Home called "You Should Have Never Opened That Door." Methinks the boys in Depeche Mode were listening to punk and krautrock and trying to be, like, Kraftwerk meets Ramones.

"See You"

Don't let this one fool you. Listen to the full chorus in the song, and it says, "All I wanna do is see you/Don't you know that it's true?" And the opening track off the Ramones' second album is called "Glad to See You Go." Which means the opposite, but whatevs.

"Something To Do"

With this song, all you need is an "I Just Wanna Have" in front of it and you've got an actual Ramones song—though, the DM song actually asks, "Is there something to do?"

"I Want You Now"

This is pretty straightforward here, and you get extra when you get to the bridge. It says, "I don't mean to sound like one of the boys/That's not what I'm trying to do/I don't wanna be like one of the boys/I just want you…now."

"I Just Can't Get Enough"

This one hits all the marks except having the word "wanna" in the title. Instead, though, we get an "outta" in the first line: "When I'm with you baby/I go outta my head." I'm sure when the original Ramones were alive they were OK with it.

SEE IT: Depeche Mode plays Moda Center, 1 N Center Court St.,
503-235-8771. 7:30 pm. Monday, October 23. $50-$195. All ages.
The Ramodes play the Lovecraft, 421 SE Grand Ave., with
DJ Acid Rick, on Friday, Oct. 20. 9 pm. Free. 21+.

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